Machop sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Machamp as fast as possible. Been around since Gen 1. Only weak to Flying and Psychic.
Machop's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Attack EV, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Always brimming with power, it passes time by lifting boulders. Doing so makes it even stronger.
It loves to work out and build its muscles. It is never satisfied, even if it trains hard all day long.
Machop Weakness
AvgType-wise, Machop takes extra damage from Flying and Psychic. Its Fighting typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. Only 2 weaknesses makes it relatively easy to build around defensively.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Machop is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Machoke first, then eventually reaches Machamp. For breeding, average hatch time with a decent partner pool via one egg group. Evolving adds up to 200 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Machop easily with 39 breeding partners from the Humanshape egg group. Pass egg moves like Bullet Punch, Close Combat, Counter and 10 more to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 4.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
The egg pool carries weight here. Bullet Punch and Close Combat aren't available any other way for Machop, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Focus Punch and Focus Blast for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Machop's scattered across 18 spots in early-game routes with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.
Best Locations
Machop appears in 18 walking and trade locations at Lv. 12-28 across HeartGold and SoulSilver. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Machop isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Machoke to unlock its full potential. At 305 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Machop evolves into Machoke at level 28. Machop is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Guts is the go-to ability for Machop. It increases Attack to 1.5× with a major status ailment. Its hidden ability Steadfast can work in specific setups. No Guard is the other option — pick based on what your team needs.
Machop fills the trick room role. It's a physical attacker with base 80 Attack. Base 35 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Machop appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Machop has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 21 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A